George e



Patented Nov. I, I898.

G. E. HOFFMANN.

VIOLIN CHIN BEST.

(Application filed Dec. 10, 1897.)

("0 Model.)

m: "cams PEYERS cu. PNOTD'UTNQ, wwqmemm n10.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. IIOFFMANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOHORACE IV. BEEK, OF SAME PLACE.

VIOLIN CHIN-REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,513, dated November1, 1 898.

" Application filed December 10,1897. Serial No. 661,382. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. HOFFMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new 5 and usefulImprovements in Violin Chin- Rests, of which the following is aspecification. The principal object of my invention is to provide achin-rest for the violin that may be applied thereto or removedtherefrom and which in use will permit of the violin being held betweenthe chin and the collar-bone without in any appreciable degreeinterfering with the Vibrations of the sounding-boards and theconsequent music-producing qualities of the instrument.

Further objects of the invention will be disclosed more fullyhereinafter.

The invention consists in the combination of a clamping portion adaptedto be secured to the violin and an inflatable bag secured to theclamping portion and adapted to be contacted by the chin, so as tominimize the danger of interfering with the vibrations of theinstrument.

The invention consists further and finally in the features,combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of my improved violinchin-rest; Fig. 2,

a perspective view of the clamp-bracket detached Fig. 3, a perspectiveview of the movable portion of the clamp; Fig. 4, a transverse sectiontaken in line 4 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 a bottom plan view of thechin-rest.

In making my improved chin-rest I make a base-plate A, of hard rubber orother suitable material, of the desired size and shape. I make a groovea around the circumference of the base-plate and a soft elastic coveringI B, adapted to be placed over the base-plate and to have itscircumferential edge bent over the circumferential edge of thebase-plate, as shown in Fig. 4. The circumferential groove a is firstpreferably covered or smeared with a cement before the edge of the coveris placed over it. The edge is then drawn into the groove against thecement by a cord or thread I), which is Wrapped around the cover, so asto closely draw it into the groove, as shown in the drawings. I thenpreferably place a metal band B around the edge of the base-plate, so asto inclose the edge of the cover and the cord or thread I), and thusgive a finished appearance to the juncture between the base-plate andthe cover as well as to protect the parts from wear, breakage, ordisplacement. The base-plate is provided with a hole through the openinginto the space between the plate and the cover and a rubber tube Cinserted in this hole and fastened in any desired way, although I preferto have the inner end of the tube provided with a flange 0, which may becemented or otherwise securely attached to the base-plate on the inside.This tube will naturally in the construction be inserted and secured inplace before the cover is put on, as above described. Through means ofthis tube air may be blown into the space between the base-plate and thecover, so as to inflate the cover and cause it to protrude or bulge out,as shown in Fig. 4, and thus present a soft air-cushion to contact withthe chin of the player.

In order to attach the chin-rest to the chin end of the violin, I attachto the base-plate a clamp-bracket D, which is shown detached in Fig. 2.As shown and as I prefer to make it, itis provided with lugscl,havingholes by which it may be attached to the base-plate by screws,rivets, or in any other desired way. This clamp-bracket is provided witha slot d and with tongues d which may be struck out in the cutting,stamping, or formation of the clamp-bracket and afterward bent inwardly,as shown in Fig. l, to afford a guideway for the movable portion ormember E of the clamp. This movable portion is shown detached and inperspective in Fig. 3. It consists of a thin strip of metal bent at thetop into a hook e and provided with an inwardly-bent clamp E, adapted toreceive and carry a pad (2, made of cork or other suitable material. Themovable portion of the clamp is inserted in place with its hookextending out through the slot 01 of the clampbracket, and the tongues dare then bent around it, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, so as to retain itsecurely in place, while permitting it to be moved in or out toward orfrom the base-plate of the chin-rest. To effectthe inward movement ofthe movable portion of the clamp and to hold it in its in position, Iuse a lock F, pivoted to the clamp-bracket at f, and provide it with anextension f, extending under the hook of the movable member of theclamp, as shown in Fig. 1. The free end of the lock is provided with ahook F, adapted to be sprung over and to engage with the lower portionof the clamp-bracket, as shown in Fig. 1, to hold it in its locking oroperative position. In order to prevent the escape of the air after thespace between the base-plate and the cover has been filled to thedesired extent by blowing through the tube 0 by the mouth or in anyother desired way, I provide the under side of the baseplate with aclamp G, pivoted to the baseplate at g, which may be moved by a sidewisemovement over the tube 0 and held in place by a headed pin g, so as toclamp and bear against the tube and collapse it, so that the air cannotescape, as shown in Fig. 5.

In the use of my improved chin-rest the hook F of the lock F is detachedor loosened from its hold on the lower portion of the clampbracket, sothat the movable member of the clamp may slide down to the limit of itsmovement away from the base of the chin-rest. The chin end of the violinis then placed between the base-plate and pad 6 on the lower end of themovable member of the clamp and the free or hook end of the lock thensprung into its locking position, (shown in Fig. 1,) which causes themovable member of the clamp to be drawn or moved in with its pad 6against the lower side of the violin, and thus draw the upper side ofthe violin against the base-plate of the chin-rest and secure it firmlyin place. To remove or detach the chin-rest from the violin, all that isnecessary is to spring the hook f of the lock F loose or free from thelower portion of the clampbracket, when the movable member of the clampwill again move or fall down and loosen or free the violin. Thechin-rest may thus be easily attached to the violin when it is desiredto use the violin and detached from it when it is desired to remove itfor any reason. \Vhat I regard as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. In a violin chin-rest, the combination of a substantially rigidsupporting-piece or base plate, means for securing such piece to aviolin, and an air cushion or bag secured to the upper portion of thebase-plate and adapted to be contacted by the chin, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a violin chin-rest, the combination of a base-plate,means forsecuring the base-plate to a violin, an air bag or cushion secured tothe outside of the base-plate, and valve mcchanism through which the bagis inflated and deflated, substantially as described.

3. In a violin chin-rest, the combination of a base-plate, an expansiblecover secured thereon, means for filling the space between the plate andthe cover with air and expanding the cover, means for preventing theescape of air, a clamp-bracket on which the chin-rest is mounted, amovable member of the clamp, and means for moving the movable memberinto operative position and looking it therein, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a violin chin-rest, the combination of a clamp-bracket on whichthe chin-rest is mounted provided with a longitudinal slot and aguideway, a movable member arranged in the guideway and provided with ahooked end protruding through the slot, and a lock engaging the hookedend of the movable member for moving it into its operative position andlooking it therein, substantially as described.

5. In a violin chin-rest, the combination of a clamp-bracket 011 whichthe chin-rest is mounted provided witha longitudinal slot and aguideway, a movable member arranged in the guideway and provided with ahooked end protruding through the slot, and a pivoted lock provided withan extending portion engaging the hooked end of the movable memher formoving it into its operative position and with a hook engaging with thelower portion of the clamp-bracket forlockin g the movable member in itsoperative position, substantially as described.

GEORGE E. HOFFMANN.

IVitnesses:

THOMAS A. BANNING, THOMAS E. McGREcoR.

